Fire-escape



(No Model.)

H. W. LITTLEFIELD.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Nov. 6

N. FEKERS. Phqlwhnwgnphcr. Wabhmgion. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE,

nnnnrw. niirrnnrinnn, or PHILADELPHIA, rnnnsrnvnnim FIRE-ESCAPE.

Y SPECIFICATION-forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,078, dated November 6, 1883.

Application flled May EB, 1883.

delphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in- 5 vented an Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to fire=escapes, but more particularly to the boxes or receptacles in which they are stored outside of the window; and it consists in a box preferably made of sheet-iron and provided with ahinged top and bottom, the said box being. supported upon the outside of the building and in con- 7 venient relative position with respect to the i 5 window, said top and bottom being hinged and combined with suitable mechanism whereby said top or lid is automatically raised upon 1 allowing the bottom to fall in the act of discharging the fire-escape; further, in provid- 2o ing a fire-escape box having a hinged bottom with suitable mechanism, which, upon raising the window before which said box is located, actuates the latch and allows said bottom to V J fall and thereby discharge the fire-escape which previously had been supported upon said bottom; and in many details of construction, all

' of which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

i .1 step directly from the window int-o the fire escape, and in no sense he required to first get into the box before getting upon said fire-escape. V

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional ele- 1. vation of my improved fire-escape, storage box or receptacle, taken on line a: m, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same. Fig. 3 is asectional plan view of same on line 3 y. Fig; at is asectional view of part of same on line to w. Fig.

. A 5 is a sectional elevation of a part of same on oer fire-escape.

. iron plate 70.

The object of my invention is to provide a,

(No model.)

line it, and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of same on line 8 s.

A is thewall of the building. Bis the window. B is the window-frame. B is the window-sill. G is the fire-escape box or receptacle, and consists of the light sheet-iron body re-enforced or strengthened at the top by an gle-iron F, and at the bottom by angle-iron E. This body is secured-to the building by any suitable means-such, for instance, as bolts G G, the upper of which may be provided with eyes 9, to which may be secured the fireescape T, (shown in dotted lines,) and in this instance made to represent whatis known as the Spen- In addition to these bolts the said body may be supported by struts S.

K is the bottom, which is made of an angleiron frame, K, to which is riveted the sheet- This bottom is hinged to the body 0 close to the inner side, as at L. When pressed up it is caught by a latch, M, pivoted at m, and operated by a toggle-joint, O, the levers of which are pivoted at O to an angle iron, 0 and the said toggle-joint in its turn is operatedby a bell-crank, P, pivoted to the body 0 at 19 through the agencyof a wire or chain, I. This bell-crank I? may be operated by hand, or more desirably by the window-sash B in the act of raising same. To accomplish this end I provide the window-sash with a plate, Q, which, as it rises, strikes a pivoted lever, P pivoted to the upper end of bell-crank P, being pressed against a pin or 1 H is the cover, made inclined, to allow the water to run off, and may be made of sheetiron h, re-enforced or strengthened upon each side by angle-irons I, which may extend beyond the hinge J, by which the said cover is hinged to the body at its upper and outer edge, to form cranks or extensions 1.

N are wires or chains connecting the bottom K near its hinge, and also the outer ends of the extensions of the cover, and the said wires or chains may pass through slots D in thebody O; and to prevent the passage of water through said slots they may be covered by sliding plates D,sliding in guides 61, and supported by said wires or chains, which pass through holes D therein. The operation is as follows: The bottom K being closed and the top or cover H being open, and the fire-escape T, which may be of any suitable construction, being suitably packed in the receptacle, the lid H may be closed and the window sash be closed, in which act it presses down the pivoted arm P". without displacing the lever P, and when closed allows it to spring back to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. A fire being discovered the sash is raised, and, as hereinbefore explained, the latch M ispressed back,

- position.

allowing the bottom K to fall, and which in falling pulls upon the wires N, raising the cover or lid H, and simultaneously therewith discharging the fireescape into an operative The person then steps from the window directly into or upon said fire-escape, and without in any manner having to first get into the box, and from that into the fire-escape, which previously had to be pushed or thrown out of the box by manual labor.

While I prefer the construction shown I do limit myself to the same, as my invention may be modified in various ways=without in any manner departing from my invention,

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y 1. A fire-escape storage box or receptacle provided with a hinged bottom, and latching mechanism to free said bottom and allow it to fall, in combination with a fire-escape for the passage of persons from .the building to the ground, adapted to be stored within said box when not in use,'and resting wholly upon said bottom, and which, upon allowing the bottom to fall ,is automatically discharged into an operative position, reaching from the box to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A fire-escape storage box or receptacle provided with a hinged bottom opening toward the building, and hinged top or cover opening away from the building, and latching mechanism to free said bottom and allow it to fall, in combination withafire-escape adapted to be stored within said box when not in use, and which,upon allowing the bottom to fall,is automatically discharged into an operative position, reaching from the box to the ground, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. A fire-escape storage box or receptacle provided with a hinged bottom, a hinged top or cover, mechanism to automatically raise said cover upon allowing the bottom to fall,

and latching. mechanism to free said bottom and allow it to fall, in combination with a fireescape adapted to be stored within said box when not in use, and which, upon allowing the bottom to fall, is automatically discharged into an operative position, reaching from the box to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. A fire-escape storage box or receptacle I provided with a hinged bottom, a hinged top or cover, mechanism to automatically raise said cover upon allowing the bottom to fall, but allow the cover to be raised or lowered without interfering with the bottom when the latter is closed, and latching mechanism to free said bottom and allow it to fall, in combination with a fire-escape adapted to be stored.

within said box when not in use, andwhich, upon allowing the bottom to fall, is automatically discharged into an operative position, reaching from the box to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. A fire-escape storage-box provided with a hinged top or.cover, and a hinged bottom, in combination with mechanism which automatically raises the bottom upon lowering the.

cover, and a latch to hold said bottom up when raised, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

. 6. A fire-escape storage box or receptacle provided with a hinged bottom, and latching mechanism to free said bottom and allow it to fall, the said latching mechanism being actu ated by raising the window-sash, in combination with a fire-escape adapted to be stored within said box when not in use, and which,

upon allowing the bottom to fall, is automati- I cally discharged into an operative position, reaching from the box to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified."

1 7. A fire-escape storage box or receptacle provided with a hinged bottom, a hinged top or cover, mechanismto automatically raise said .cover upon allowing the bottom to fall,- and latching mechanism to free said bottom and allow it to fall, the said latching mechanism being actuated by raising the window-sash, in combination with a fire-escape adapted to be stored within said box when not in use, and which, upon allowing the bottom to fall,

is automatically discharged into an operative, position, reaching from the box to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of sheet-iron body 0,

re-enforced by angle-irons E F, hinged bottom' Y K, hinged cover H, having extensions 1, latch M, means to operate said latch and wire or chain N, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of body 0, hinged bottom K, latch M, spring M, lever P, and connecting mechanism whereby said lever operg ates said latch to free thebottom, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10; The combination of body 0, hinged bottom K, latch M, spring 1% lever P, having plates D substantially as and for the purpose stop 1), hinged arm P spring R, window-sash specified. 10 B, and connecting mechanism whereby? said" In testimony of which invention I hereunto lever operates said latch to free the bottom, set my hand.

5 substantiztllyas and. for the purpose'speoified. HENRY W". LITTLEFIELD.

11. The combination of body C, having; slots W'itnesses: D, hingefi bottom K,'hinged cover H, having M. HUNTER,

- ez ctensions 1 wire or chain N and slidin .T. ALFRED SMITH. 

